I would say it is in between when Wade and Spain left people thought that was cream of the crop of the Aztecs. That being said the chances of landing another Kawhi Leonard type talent and becoming a top ten team again soon aren't that high

I agree, to get a former CA HS player of the year was huge for SDSU. He is in the talk for national POY. I have been trying to look up recruiting for 2011 and 2012 for SDSU, so far it isn't looking good. I think Leonard goes to the NBA after this year, I hope I'm wrong. But he's too talented. He's close to averaging a double double, 16 ppg and 9.6 rpg. This year's squad is definitely deep, but Leonard really sets the tone for this team.

I agree, haters hate. Take pride in that it is a San Diego team. I can see why other city calls our fans fair weather fans with fans like that. Enjoy their success, watch them play. First half it feels like they play to get a feel for things, like an experiment. Then in the second half, they just turn it on. Against Cal I was worried that Cal's point guard was shredding them apart. But the second half comes around and they just ran. Next thing you know the lead is double digits. Steve Fisher has really built up this team. Each year they improve. I think Brady Hoke is doing the same for the football team. It's amazing they are ranked so high. Even though it may seem too good to be true because it's uncharted waters, just watch the overall package. You'll see that they are a real good squad. Dick Vitale even picked them to be top 25 in the preseason. When they beat Gonzaga, the Bulldogs were #12, so they did beat a top 25 team. It's just Gonzaga has had a brutal schedule and dropped off, but at the time they were ranked. The Cal team made it to the tournament last year and they were the Pac-10 champs last year. The schedule was made to play good teams. They had like 4 other teams on their schedule that won over 20 games last year. So to say they haven't played anyone isn't a fair critique.

I agree, to get a former CA HS player of the year was huge for SDSU. He is in the talk for national POY. I have been trying to look up recruiting for 2011 and 2012 for SDSU, so far it isn't looking good.

Rivals.com says San Diego St. doesn't have anyone from the national top 150 in its 2010 or 2011 recruiting class.

The good news is in basketball you only need one diamond in the rough to polish up to get a major bump in the team's talent level.

I agree, haters hate. Take pride in that it is a San Diego team. I can see why other city calls our fans fair weather fans with fans like that. Enjoy their success, watch them play.

I don't understand what is not to like about a team playing good ball, this town has a sports pathology.

If someone looks like they might win, people here beat them down - they are so afraid to get hurt that they are afraid to like anyone and can't enjoy what is here right now for fear of failure tomorrow.

I don't understand what is not to like about a team playing good ball, this town has a sports pathology.

If someone looks like they might win, people here beat them down - they are so afraid to get hurt that they are afraid to like anyone and can't enjoy what is here right now for fear of failure tomorrow.

Someone (Binary, I think?) had a post basically saying that the San Diego team that finally overcomes the "curse" - i.e., the blanket of negativity in this city resulting from decades of championship futility - would need to be so good and so dominant that they don't leave any questions. Like the '72 Miami Dolphins or '85 Bears (my addition).

I agree with the basic premise, although I think San Diego's eventual Champion (in whichever sport) won't be overtly "dominant" per se, but sneak up on this city like the '01 Pats did, fighting fan cynicism all the way.

Maybe that'll be these Aztecs, maybe not. But I refuse to be part of the problem, and therefore root for them all the way.

For what's supposed to be a vibrant SoCal city, San Diegans are a bunch of grinches when it comes to sports.

Someone (Binary, I think?) had a post basically saying that the San Diego team that finally overcomes the "curse" - i.e., the blanket of negativity in this city resulting from decades of championship futility - would need to be so good and so dominant that they don't leave any questions. Like the '72 Miami Dolphins or '85 Bears (my addition).

I agree with the basic premise, although I think San Diego's eventual Champion (in whichever sport) won't be overtly "dominant" per se, but sneak up on this city like the '01 Pats did, fighting fan cynicism all the way.

Maybe that'll be these Aztecs, maybe not. But I refuse to be part of the problem, and therefore root for them all the way.

For what's supposed to be a vibrant SoCal city, San Diegans are a bunch of grinches when it comes to sports.

Some people are San Diegans while others just happen to live in San Diego.

__________________"Dedicated to Keeping the Chargers the San Diego Chargers!"

With the football team set to play in a bowl game and the men's basketball team unbeaten and ranked seventh nationally, Aztecs get a lot more attention from fans and recruits.

"The weather, save for the odd rainstorm, is consistently sunny and mild. The daily comings and goings of students, faculty and administrators remain largely unchanged.

But D.J. Gay, a senior guard on the San Diego State basketball team, senses a shift on and off campus, especially in regard to the Aztecs athletics program. "There's definitely something different in the air," he said."

That's what happens when the university's football team qualifies for a bowl game for the first time in more than a decade, and the men's basketball team is unbeaten and ranked seventh nationally.

San Diego State, long considered a sleeping giant in college sports, is stirring.

In 1999, Fisher inherited a program that had posted losing records in 13 of its previous 14 seasons. The Aztecs reached the NCAA tournament in Fisher's third season and have returned twice since, most recently last spring. They are on pace to win more than 20 games for the sixth consecutive season.

"There was, at best, apathy," Fisher said, recalling the state of the program when he arrived, and "now there's genuine excitement and expectations."

Last season, the Aztecs finished 25-9 with a solid core of upperclassmen and forward Kawhi Leonard, a former Riverside King High star who was the Mountain West freshman of the year.

Leonard is averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Aztecs, who play San Francisco in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Fisher is not surprised by the Aztecs' start. "If we played a top 10 team every night we would not win every game, but we wouldn't be shocked if we beat anybody," he said.

Gay, who played at Sun Valley Poly High, said change in the air is already causing others to do as he did when he chose San Diego State over USC and Pepperdine four years ago.

"It went from people saying, 'Why would you want to go there?' to 'How can I get down there?' " he said. "Instead of questioning it, people have jumped on the bandwagon."

Someone (Binary, I think?) had a post basically saying that the San Diego team that finally overcomes the "curse" - i.e., the blanket of negativity in this city resulting from decades of championship futility - would need to be so good and so dominant that they don't leave any questions. Like the '72 Miami Dolphins or '85 Bears (my addition).

I agree with the basic premise, although I think San Diego's eventual Champion (in whichever sport) won't be overtly "dominant" per se, but sneak up on this city like the '01 Pats did, fighting fan cynicism all the way.

Maybe that'll be these Aztecs, maybe not. But I refuse to be part of the problem, and therefore root for them all the way.

For what's supposed to be a vibrant SoCal city, San Diegans are a bunch of grinches when it comes to sports.

Absolutely correct.

Except that most SD sports fans would have bemoaned the '72 Dolphins for winning such an 'ugly' Super Bowl (14-7, Garo Yepremian?) and we would STILL be talking about the Miami beatdown on MNF if we had the '85 Bears.

Oh, and if the Chargers had won a Super Bowl, a**holes all over the country, especially ones who don't live anywhere near here, would be telling us to just give up our silly little quest for a new stadium. Bank on it.

With the football team set to play in a bowl game and the men's basketball team unbeaten and ranked seventh nationally, Aztecs get a lot more attention from fans and recruits.

"The weather, save for the odd rainstorm, is consistently sunny and mild. The daily comings and goings of students, faculty and administrators remain largely unchanged.

But D.J. Gay, a senior guard on the San Diego State basketball team, senses a shift on and off campus, especially in regard to the Aztecs athletics program. "There's definitely something different in the air," he said."

That's what happens when the university's football team qualifies for a bowl game for the first time in more than a decade, and the men's basketball team is unbeaten and ranked seventh nationally.

San Diego State, long considered a sleeping giant in college sports, is stirring.

great find. That's what I've been telling my friends. San Diego is rich in talent. A lot of pro athletes in most major sports grew up in San Diego. But we never could keep them. It's always been to Pac-10 schools. And Pac-10 would never take San Diego mainly because SDSU has never really done anything, but also because of location. They already have 2 schools just north of us. While the system for college basketball isn't as bad as football, it's about exposure. SDSU doesn't get any. But for the football team in the MWC is really bad. I had always hope some alumni who is filthy rich would come in and be a major booster for the school. Get some scholarship and national respect. Then the kids would stay in San Diego

great find. That's what I've been telling my friends. San Diego is rich in talent. A lot of pro athletes in most major sports grew up in San Diego. But we never could keep them. It's always been to Pac-10 schools. And Pac-10 would never take San Diego mainly because SDSU has never really done anything, but also because of location. They already have 2 schools just north of us. While the system for college basketball isn't as bad as football, it's about exposure. SDSU doesn't get any. But for the football team in the MWC is really bad. I had always hope some alumni who is filthy rich would come in and be a major booster for the school. Get some scholarship and national respect. Then the kids would stay in San Diego

Mnt.tv is not helping the MWC and the Aztecs get national exposure at all. Dropping conference coverage by ESPN was a serious mistake and has yet to be rectified.

__________________"Dedicated to Keeping the Chargers the San Diego Chargers!"